Tokyo electric

Audi’s unique charging solution first seen as a pilot and then a reality in Nuremberg has now become a reality in bustling Tokyo as the brand opens its first Audi Charging Hub outside of Europe. Originally developed as a means for repurposing old batteries, the Audi Charging Hubs offer the convenience of charging stations in prime locations which can be built at low cost and place low demands on the local power grid through the use of battery storage. The Audi Charging Hub technology now occupies a prime position in Tokyo’s Kioichō business district, where four fast-charging points with a capacity of up to 150kW are now available to the drivers of all electric car brands.

The location in the heart of this vibrant part of the world’s most populous city was chosen partly because of the wealth of facilities in the immediate vicinity to use while their vehicle is charging, and for the fact that Audi’s premium showroom for electric vehicles is situated right next to the charging facility.

The establishment of the fast-charging hub is aimed directly at those who are not able to charge their cars at home given the extremely populous nature of the Japanese capital. Where some of the exisiting European hubs offer a lounge facility as part of the construction this compact version of the Audi charging hub in Tokyo has two charging stations with a total of four fast-charging points featuring CHAdeMO charging plugs.

The charging hub enables higher charging speeds than the average in Japan, where the average 100 volts. In Japan, the current must be correspondingly high to achieve high charging capacities, requiring large cable cross-sections, which are the exception rather than the rule in with Japan’s power grids.

As is the case at the existing Audi Charging Hubs already operating in Europe, the Japanese hub places a low demand on the local power grid through the use of battery storage, which stores electricity when the power grid is under low load. As the batteries act as a buffer storage for direct current, there is no need for a complex infrastructure with high-voltage supply lines and costly transformers. In addition, Audi only uses electricity from renewable sources and green energy also powers the Audi charging hub, mainly generated directly by the photovoltaic system that is installed on the charging station’s roof.

As with other Audi Charging Hubs, customers are able to reserve their charging point in advance to avoid waiting times, with an app under development to further streamline the process and allow customers to better plan their time.

While plans for further charging hubs in other countries are still under consideration, another charging hub is already planned for Tokyo which will be built in the the Shiba kōen district, home of the Tokyo Tower.